To our staff, and his peers, 1B Jack Jones (Shawnee Mission East, 2024; Tennessee commit) is one of the highest regarded prospects in the state. A powerful, highly physical 6-foot-3, 215-pound athlete, Jones generates noticeable thump from the right side of the plate. He's a true middle-of-the-order masher with easy juice that's coupled with a natural, confident feel to hit.

We recently spoke with the Tennessee signee on why he chose the Volunteers, his recruiting process as a whole, what advice he would give to young baseball players, and we even got a brief preview into Shawnee Mission East's season. You'll find our full chat, below.

OUR Q&A

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Jones: I expected to really like a lot of schools but I was looking for a program that I feel like I will be able to succeed and become a better player and person off the field at and I feel like UTK and Coach Vitello were the best fit for me.

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Jones: It did not.

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

Jones: I started getting a lot of attention from scouts and schools the summer going into my sophomore season and to my knowledge Tennessee first saw me play the second week of the summer at LakePoint.

PBR: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Jones: I love the energy and atmosphere Tennessee brings to not only their baseball games but everything else as well. There’s many things that made me realize Tennessee was the right school for me such as the campus, the programs success, the programs ability to produce pro guys, weather, and the uniforms, but the number one thing thing for me was the coach. Ever since my first call with Coach Vitello I realized that he was the coach I wanted to play for.

PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

Jones: Arkansas, LSU, ASU, and Tennessee.

PBR: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

Jones: I had always been a solid baseball player but I really started loving the game and realizing it was what I want to do for as long as I possible starting in 7th grade when I moved here and was exposed to many more recourses and a higher level of play.

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

Jones: Learn how to deal with failure. It’s a huge part of baseball and if you learn how to deal with it and use it as motivation you will become a better player.

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Jones: My most memorable baseball experience was my sophomore year watching my team win our regional while I was hurt. It was obviously hard to watch them play while I wasn’t able to but I was so proud of them for dealing with adversity and exceeding everyone’s expectations.

PBR: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

Jones: We have amazing talent this year and guys with experience at the varsity level at almost every position so we’ve all set very high expectations for ourselves. If we play as a team and get done what we need to get done I believe we can be one of if not the best team in the state this year.

RELATED CONTENT